Seven Days
by Fire in the hole
Summary: AU: A blue-haired café customer cons Kurama to be her boyfriend for a week. He uncharacteristically agrees. She has her reasons. Will he find out what they are? It's bound to be the longest seven days of Kurama's life. Kurama/Botan
1. Prologue: The Deal

**Author's Notes (03/28/08): **Just because I think I've read too many fan fictions wherein Kurama asks Botan to be his girlfriend (_The Dating Game_ is a decent fiction, but I'm really looking forward to the continuation of _Masquerade_). _**Seven Days**_ is an attempt of mine to make a multi-chaptered story. Revisions will be made whenever I feel like it.

I must have skipped over errors, inconsistencies and such, so please feel free to point them out to me. Be warned: OOC-ness galore ahead. Tell me if it's too much. Thanks! (God, I really don't know what I'm doing, so my apologies.)

YYH and its characters that are included in this fan fiction are obviously not mine.

* * *

**SEVEN DAYS**

_**Prologue: The Deal**_

She is, without a doubt, the craziest person I have ever met. And I've had my share of dealing with crazy people…starting with the Minamino Shuichi Fan Club members at my school. It's bad enough that a bunch of teenage girls are throwing themselves at me, slipping one love letter too many on my locker, and trying to catch my attention by doing the most ridiculous things.

Now _this_ just _has_ to happen.

One moment, she looks like a totally innocent, albeit strange-looking, girl just having a grand vacation time, hanging out at the hotel café that my stepfather owns; the next, she's this terribly mystifying woman with the strangest personality I've ever encountered.

She is by no means an extremely beautiful woman, but she's attractive enough to be worthy of more than a glance from any hot-blooded male. Her long blue hair, which is in a high ponytail, sways against her shoulders and back with every gesture she makes. Her purple eyes sparkle with mischief and silent laughter, changing hues every so often whenever she speaks. She's tall and slender, with smooth curves in all the right places. But what can be considered the most charming about her is the way she carries herself -- not with the expected grace or confidence, although she certainly has both, but with childlike wonder and naivety that's absolutely refreshing, if not for the fact that she's becoming mildly annoying right now.

_She's just plain crazy_, I groan mentally, trying hard to fight the urge of pulling my long red hair from my scalp.

"So, what do you say? It's just for the next seven days. After it's over, it's _all _over. No strings attached," she prompts. She looks at me eagerly like a child waiting for her turn to open her Christmas presents.

I say nothing and just continue to stare at the girl in front of me with narrowed eyes, wondering how in hell she managed to get this far without some men in white coats struggling to get her into a straitjacket and hauling her to the nearest mental institution. She certainly looks the part of an asylum candidate, if not an escapee.

She lets out a small giggle at the expression on my face, which, I think, must be a cross between confusion and desperation. She snorts in amusement, and I visibly relax the assumption that she's just pulling my leg. She wouldn't laugh if she's really serious, right?

_Not._

"Come on! You have nothing to lose. Please?" she coaxes further. She looks at me with an expression almost resembling a lost puppy's. It's quite an adorable sight, but still suspicious all the same.

I have nothing to lose, she says. Maybe I want a normal life. I'd lose seven days of normalcy over the request of a mentally, and maybe even hormonally, deranged teenager. Maybe I want to get married. I can't get married with her sticking to me. Maybe…

_Stop!_ I snapped at myself._ It seems that for her, my sanity doesn't count as something to lose_._ Not an hour with this woman and her attitude already is getting to me._

I look around the café, noticing the looks being directed my way. Some are seductive, others admiring. One winks, another bats her eyelashes. At least three girls drool, another three blush when I glance at them. I almost roll my eyes at their antics, but instead just smile at them politely.

_Maybe I need to take a break from these women. Although replacing a horde of crazed girls with _her _would probably be tantamount to cerebral suicide. For all I know, she leads this flock of fan girls._

_But then, maybe not. All of them are glaring at her._

She speaks again, more softly this time. "I'm serious. This is serious. We'll pretend to have a serious relationship, as if we've been a going out a long time now, for only seven days. Then that's it. No catch. You don't have to give me gifts or take me out on dates. You don't have to introduce me to your family and friends. In fact, you can just argue with me all week long. I don't care." She pauses to catch her breath. "All I'm asking is that you treat me as your girlfriend. For seven days. And be serious about it. Then after a week, we're done," she says, emphasizing the last two words.

I gazed at her contemplatively. She seems determined to strike the deal with me, her expression candid. I must admit that I'm a little bit intrigued on why she makes such an insane offer, and to a complete stranger at that.

And as intelligent and cautious as I pride myself to be, I find myself inevitably curious.

_It's just for a week. What's the worst that can possibly happen?_

"Fine," I finally give in. I really have no time for this. And if agreeing to her nutty scheme is the only way to get her to shut up so I can escape and be on my merry way, then so be it. I have a lot of work to catch up on.

She beams at me. "We have a deal then!" she _squeals_, her smile widening. I can almost swear the whole café suddenly looks brighter than usual. "What's your name, by the way?" she cheerfully asks, both eyebrows slightly quirked upward.

_Maybe it's not going to be _that_ bad. She seems friendly and tolerable enough._

"Shuichi," I reply shortly. "Listen, I have to go. I still have a lot to do. See you!" _Never_, I add silently. I have to get away before I do anything stupider.

"You're leaving? So soon?" She pouts cutely, then says, "Okay, then. See you around, honey," she quips.

I blink.

Did she just call me honey? Nope, must be my imagination.

"Bye, hon!" she yells as a send-off while waving.

Nope, definitely _not_ my imagination.

_What the hell have I gotten myself into?_ I almost slap my forehead with frustration. I give her an impassive nod then walk away. I stop at mid-stride at the realization that I've forgotten to ask for her name, but when I turn around, she's already gone. She'll probably -- and hopefully -- forget everything by the evening anyway, _if_ she's as demented as I perceive her to be.

'Cause with the way things are going, things just can't get any worse.

* * *

School is out for the summer, so my stepfather, who is currently away on a business trip, has left me in charge of the café. And because business is at its peak with tourists from all over Japan and other countries, we need as much help as we can get, thus compelling my father to hire new men to add to the paycheck. And one of them is Jaganshi Hiei, my best friend.

Normally, I'd hang out with him, but he has to pick up his twin sister Yukina at the airport earlier today from her short vacation in the US. Their parents have recently separated, and Yukina has just paid a visit to their father and his fiancée. Hiei is against the arrangement, but he really can do nothing about it.

And I'm blaming today's misfortune on him. His morning absence has forced me to fill in for him during his shift, which led to the meeting with the lunatic. I usually just oversee the going-ons in the café. I wonder if the girl would have done the same thing if it was Hiei whom she got to talk with.

_Probably. She did seem a bit desperate, which she covered up well_, I say to myself as I think back on what happened earlier.

_**--/Flashback/--**_

_She sits in the far corner of the café and flashes a distracted smile my way as I approach her. She wears a dark pink cotton short sleeve t-shirt, which complements her hair well, and white shorts that shows off her long legs. Simple and practical, not like the ones worn by the other guests at the hotel._

"_Good morning, miss. May I take your order?" I inquired politely to the girl. She seems a bit unusual, given the fact that she has _blue_ hair and _purple_ eyes. Wig and contact lenses?_

"_Strawberry milkshake and two orders of katsu-sando, please. I'm starved," she replies as she gives me a sheepish grin. She must have noticed the odd look I gave her because she teases, "My hair and eye colors are natural." I just shrug off the last comment as I turn and walk away to prepare her order. I hardly care about the customers' private dealings anyway. She does seem to be a pretty interesting character, but her eyes and hair are none of my business._

_I return a few minutes later, trying to balance her order on the small tray I'm holding. As I set down her food on the table, she grins at me again and unabashedly asks, "Are you a guy?"_

"_Yes, I am," I say coolly. I'm already used to that question, having had to deal with it the moment I decided to keep my red hair long._

_She looks at me with a barely concealed interest glint in her eyes. "How old are you?"_

_Surprised by the question and caught off-guard by her candidness, I almost forgot what my age is. "I'm turning 19 next week," I reply indifferently._

"_Ahh," she nods. She has a thoughtful look on her face and seems unaware of her surroundings. Thinking I've been dismissed, I turn my back to her to attend to other customers when she suddenly throws me yet another unexpected question, "Are you still single?"_

_My jaw almost drops, but I quickly squash any emotion from my face and will it to remain placid. "Yes. Why do you ask?" I respond apprehensively as my eyes bore into hers, wondering where she's going with all these questions. And why she asks them in the first place._

"_Oh, nothing…." She averts her gaze, and then looks at me again, not even flinching a bit. "Do you want to have a girlfriend?" she asks slyly, a hint of smile on her face._

_What is with this girl? She asks the most unusual things. And she seems to be enjoying interrogating me. "Not really." I shrug._

_She smirks. I give her a questioning look, which she just returns innocently. She leans forward and gestures for me to sit down on the chair across her. "I have a proposition to make."_

_I remain standing, not wanting to be closer to her than necessary lest she does something foolish. "What is it?"_

_She seems to hesitate for a moment. "Can we be a couple?"_

_My eyes widen._

"_Just for seven days," she adds quickly._

_I really have nothing to do but to gawk at her like she's crazy._

_Well, she is._

_**--/End Flashback/--**_

"She's nuts," I mutter, remembering every second of the scene as I walk home for lunch. Her proposing, and me agreeing. "Hell, _I'm_ nuts," I growled.

"I take it something happened, Kurama?" an amused voice inquired from behind me.

I'm normally exceptionally aware of a person's presence, but it seems that I've been so absorbed in my thoughts that I failed to notice him. "Hiei. When did you get back? How's Yukina?"

"Hn. What were you mumbling about?" he asks, not answering my questions. Typical. He's a bit anti-social, but he's a pretty decent person especially when it comes to his sister.

"I'm just plotting your death for missing your shift today. Be prepared," I reply nonchalantly as he walks beside me. I'm not about to forget that I'm placing the blame on him.

"Not if I plot and execute yours first," he retorts, not missing a beat. "So, what happened? One would think you've just met a crazy woman who asked you to be her boyfriend." He takes on a smug look as he adds, "Not that it'd be anything new. You and your fan girls..." He rolls his eyes, his head shaking from side to side.

I quirk an eyebrow, wondering if he knows something I don't. "Actually, that's exactly what happened, Hiei."

Hiei scoffs. "Don't jest. It's rather unbecoming of you. You wouldn't act that way if that's what happened. I know you better than that."

"Yes, it seems you do. But I'm telling the truth."

"Hn," he replies incredulously. He thinks for a moment. "There must be some _other_ thing that happened then."

I nod. I'm pretty sure what his reaction will be when I tell him.

"So? What is it?" he demands, already impatient with my stalling.

I pause for a second, tilting my head to the side ruefully, my green eyes crinkling in both disbelief and amusement. "I agreed."

Pause.

"WHAT?!"


	2. Getting to Know Her

**Author's Notes:** Much thanks to the ones who reviewed the prologue, most especially to _Colonel Bastard_ for setting my spelling "strait."

I'm still playing with this fanfic, so pardon if you think it's a huge failure. I do know I have to work on my dialogues. Sometimes I wish English was my first language and not my fourth (or fifth, if you consider gibberish a language) so I wouldn't have much trouble with my diction. To add insult to injury, I've recently lost my PDA phone where two finished chapters of Seven Days were stored (along with hordes of other stuff), so this one is just written from my not-so-sharp memory. Also, darn me for not researching on how the Japanese education system works.

Standard disclaimers apply. Again, feel free to inform me of any errors.

* * *

_**Chapter 1: Getting to Know Her (Day 1)**_

Destiny? It is, in its entirety, an absolute irony of life. I believe that I'm the one who makes my own destiny. And right now, I've foolishly destined myself to be the supposed boyfriend of a currently unnamed blue-haired, purple-eyed girl for seven days. I don't know what exactly led me to agree to take part in this crazy hullabaloo. I've always been a logical person, one who always examines the situation before crashing into it head on. But for one reason or another, my logic has stopped working properly ever since I met her.

Maybe insanity is contagious after all. It perfectly accounts for my temporary idiocy during the whole encounter with her.

I've resolved to exhaust all my effort in avoiding her like a plague. However, upon careful analysis of the situation, I realize that it's virtually to completely impossible because I have to do the job my stepfather has entrusted me with. I can probably get away with calling in sick for the week, but it's not what a responsible stepson will do. What a responsible stepson will do is go to the café and at least pretend to be doing something productive. A responsible stepson will face any circumstances hurled his way, crazy girl or no crazy girl. And I'm a responsible stepson. Only, there's a crazy girl.

So much for avoiding her at all costs.

I can only hope that despite her being a guest in the hotel where the café is situated, her visits will be limited from a few minutes to naught. She does have to explore Tokyo, sight-see, and shop 'till she drops. They're what tourists do, and she's a tourist, so she has to act like one. I hope.

But just then, as I brood over a suitable plan of action to carefully extricate myself from my plight, Lady Luck decides to play with me and act all cruel by being completely dumb. I have a sinking suspicion that she's a sexist and really has something against me because as soon as I return to the café from my break, the blue-headed girl makes an entrance so grand that it's hardly unnoticeable. She looks flushed; her windswept hair and sparkling eyes tell me she's been out, probably to shop.

Everyone watches as she pounces on me, latches onto my arm, acts all sweet and innocent, and tells me she's been looking for me. _Have I eaten yet? Do I feel tired? Maybe I need a rest? Do I want something?_ She shoots one question after another like a machine-gun, and I can't get a word in edgewise even if I want to.

"You've been gone for hours, and I was worried that something bad happened to you. What have you been doing anyway?" she babbles.

"I just went out for lunch with a friend."

The said friend, namely Hiei, just stares at her in bewilderment for a moment, surprised at the girl's odd behavior. His lips twist in a very malicious smirk. He must have realized this is the same person we talked about earlier; the one I've dashingly and conveniently nicknamed Girl Interrupted Jane Doe, or GI Jane Doe, for reasons obvious enough for me not to explain. And -- need I even forget? -- she's the same one who's probably going to be the death of me.

After the all too necessary introductions in which I've finally found out the girl's real name, Hiei decides to make up for missing his shift and now mans the counter, looking as bored as usual. He has pointedly ignored my silent plea to rescue me from the girl's death trap and instead almost instantly disappears from sight. Meanwhile, I've been cornered and am currently stuck in a table with _her_ talking my ears off like there's no tomorrow. I have a truckload of reasons to leave her, but none is an effective excuse enough to work unless she's even a little bit gullible to fall for it. And I'm not about to take that chance lest I get caught red-handed and offend her.

The café is pitifully empty at the moment except for a few regulars, and sadly, nothing needs my immediate attention. Even the hotel lobby seems deserted save for the few employees and people who want to either check in or leave. Tourists are surely crowding the streets of Tokyo, having fun visiting different tourist spots and buying souvenirs for their loved ones, while I'm being obliged to be certain someone's boy toy. Oh, joy.

"And you know, I found this really spiffy store that sells beautiful but cheap kimonos. I'm thinking of buying one for my mother. She's a sucker for pink ones especially, and I found just the thing in that shop that has the smoothest fabric and the cutest design. Now I just have to find something for my dad, but I'm not exactly sure what he would like. You know, I remember one time I gave him five bottles of Jizake from Kochi City. You know what Jizake is, right? Well, my dad really liked it, which is no surprise because he likes drinking sake anyway. So now I'm really at loss on what to give him. Maybe he'd like a…"

And she goes on and on and on. I promptly tune out her voice, wanting a moment of silence that will enable me to think.

Botan. Utsukushii Botan. That's her name. It can be loosely translated as beautiful peony or lovely Botan. But if you ask me, it should be somewhere along the lines of "Crazy Botan" or "Annoying Botan." She's fast becoming a nuisance, but I guess lovely is still an apt word to describe her. She wears the same outfit from earlier, the only difference being that her hair is free from its straining bind, framing her delicate face and flowing beautifully on her back. I must admit it suits her better, giving her an almost angelic look. She's really not bad-looking at all. If the circumstances are more agreeable, I might even enjoy my time with her.

I look over at her while she talks incessantly, studying her glowing features and wondering just what kind of person she is. With all her babbling, she has yet to mention something personal other than the basics. It seems she's not inclined to tell me anything about her except her experiences in the places she's been to. She does talk about her family, but never about what she does, what she likes, what she loves. Or why she has asked us to be a couple for a while.

She prattles on about how Tokyo is a bit similar yet different from the place where she lives, Kagoshima Prefecture, which is located south of Japan in Kyushu Island. She seems like a walking, talking, and eating Kagoshima guidebook, enumerating the main attractions and events of her homeland. It's pathetically obvious that she has only half my attention, just as it's pathetically obvious that she doesn't really care if I listen to her or not as long as she gets to talk. I just respond to her whenever she asks questions, nod when needed, and smile when compelled. She doesn't seem to be put off by my cold detachment. Maybe she knows how much of a reluctant participant I am in this façade, or maybe she's just terribly dense about things like that. Whatever the reason is, I'm glad she's not getting on my case, especially because she's the one who conned me into this pretense of a relationship in the first place.

Hiei thinks my predicament is highly amusing. I always catch him evilly smirking, stealing glances at us from across the room, but I can give him nothing more than acidic glares with veiled threats of sweet revenge. As much as I hate to admit it, I'm powerless to do anything more than glower at him in secret. Whenever our eyes meet, he gives me a leer that clearly states, "Hey, it's _your _fault for getting yourself in _that_ situation." And the annoying thing is, he's absolutely, positively, infinitely, without-a-doubt right. I'm the one who got myself into this mess. And I have to endure seven days of utter torture in the hands of a conniving, loony, extremely cheerful girl.

I shift uncomfortably in my sit, crossing my legs and clasping my hands on my knees. If there's one thing I've learned all throughout our one-sided conversation, it's that she has a very hearty appetite practically unheard of from a girl her physique. One has to wonder how she keeps the weight off with all the stuff she eats. She's not even exactly a slob; in fact she's thoughtful enough to offer me whatever it is she's having every time. Hiei is evidently as thrown off as I am, being used to women fawning over their figure and weight. I guess she's one of those people who have a fast metabolism, or don't care one way or another, or maybe even both. Still, it's a good thing she has mentioned earlier something about not having to take her out on dates; I'd surely be thousands of yen poorer by the end of the day if ever that's not the case.

She strikes me as a person who's family-oriented, a trait I find attractive in her. When she talks about her family and relatives, her eyes just glow with undeniable happiness, a fond smile on her face. She squeals in delight and tells me funny stories about them and their misadventures at home. More than once I've caught a glint of something akin to sadness in her eyes, perhaps wistful that she's far away from the people she loves.

_In fact_, I conclude to myself, _if not for the fact that I'm a living proof and witness to her imprudent tendencies, she seems to be a terrific person all in all._

_So what led her to ask me to be her one-week boyfriend this morning?_

I've been asking myself that question for countless of times. Many reasons come to mind, some of them even bordering on ideas verily illogical, but none which I can confirm. Maybe it's a social experiment required in their university that deals with individual behavior when asked a peculiar question. Maybe she's from a gag show that I've never heard of, and it's just my luck to be chosen as her victim. Maybe she's a freelance writer for a fashion magazine and wants to write an article on "How to Drive a Guy Crazy in 7 Days." But through it all, I can't think of the most plausible explanation besides that she's really just mentally imbalanced and in need of patience and understanding.

A lot of patience and understanding.

So absorbed I am in my thoughts that I almost missed her turning the spotlight to me. "Why don't you have someone special in you love life? You're very handsome." I snap out of my thoughts, my left eyebrow twitching at her offhand comment, as she continues, "And I'm willing to bet my last tempura that you're smart. So, why?" She throws me a casual but questioning glance as she carefully picks a tempura with her chopsticks, playing with it for a while until she finally decides to take a generous bite.

While the prospect of getting her last tempura is tempting, I just I take a sip of my orange juice and choose not to answer.

Why indeed? Even _I_ don't know the answer. It's not that I'm choosy, or maybe I am, but I really haven't found the one yet. No one has ever succeeded in breaking my defenses. No one has ever made me feel that it's worthy to risk my love and trust on her. No one has ever made my heart flutter and soar with joy.

I think I've been watching my mother's romance movie collection too much.

Botan waits patiently for my response, but sensing my reluctance to answer, her lips curl into a smile and she looks as me knowingly. "Oh, I get it. You're homosexual, eh?" She nods with a thoughtful look on her face as she pats my hand, as if to lend comfort and support for the nonexistent identity crisis I have. "I feel for you."

I nearly choke on my juice, shock numbing my entire body. It's through sheer control that I managed not to spit out my drink directly at her face. She says the most ludicrous and bothersome things, this woman! It's not the first time that someone has mistaken me for a homosexual, but the person in front of me lacks tact. Trust her to bring something like that up while eating. She says what's on her mind, and has no qualms in doing it. Probably one who talks before she thinks, which isn't surprising, to say the least.

"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me," she adds in a hushed voice, winking. She continues to eat as if nothing odd has just happened. I watch her play with her second-to-the-last tempura while humming happily, expertly clamping the piece of food between her chopsticks and putting it on her mouth. I notice that she looks as if she's trying her hardest to conceal her mirth.

It's not until then that I realize she's been merely teasing me. Comprehension _and_ apprehension of what she's doing must have shown on my face for she chuckles loudly, finding the situation hilarious.

I let out an exasperated sigh and shake my head. "Glad you're having fun," I say dryly. How anyone can possibly understand what's going on in her mind is beyond me. She's an unpredictable and puzzling character, wordlessly challenging all those who meet her to figure her out correctly.

Needless to say, I'm not up to the challenge.

"Oh, you! You don't know how to take a joke," she whines heatedly despite her sunny grin, which she covers with one feminine hand.

My face remains impassive, and I say nothing. Of course I know how to take a joke, just not the below-the-belt ones. Besides, she's annoying me to no end.

"You should have seen your face. It was so bloated, like you were about to burst!" She laughs louder, making the other customers look at us questioningly, some with annoyance written on their faces for having their relatively quiet afternoon disturbed. I give them an apologetic look then turn my attention back to Botan.

"Well, I'm sorry," I answer with mild sarcasm. "I was trying hard not to give you an untimely bath in orange juice and stain your clothes."

She waves her hands dismissively, snorting in an unladylike fashion. "Ease up a little, will you?" she chides. "No wonder you're still single."

I slightly raise an eyebrow at her words, slightly curious but still deadpanned. What does that have to do with anything? As far as I know, nothing. So I just feign disinterest in our so-called dialogue, which isn't exactly hard to do, come to think of it.

She shrugs and moves to bite into her last tempura. I eye the food on her mouth, suppressing the urge to steal it from her. I guess I'm not going to get it after all. Too bad.

"On one hand, women like men who can make fun of and laugh at themselves once in a while," she suddenly states in a matter-of-fact tone. "You, on the other hand," she points her chopsticks at me accusingly, "are so uptight. You don't know how to have fun. You're, like, an old male spinster." She scrunches up her face and shudders at the thought.

"I am not," I say indignantly.

"Are too!"

Silence.

"You're very unappetizing," she tells me as she pushes her empty plate away. After a few beats, she impishly grins and exclaims brightly, "So how about an ice cream?"

I stare at her and think, "_She is so incredibly and unpredictably crazy_."

* * *

The nearest ice cream shop is a fifteen-minute walk from the hotel. It has taken Botan and almost all the café employees a good ten minutes to convince me to go. Why and how my workmates have even managed to involve themselves in the situation, I don't know. Perhaps they find my distress funny and entertaining. It's not the first time they've tried to convince me to go out with someone, but I always politely turn down their offers and ideas. I tell them I will get a girlfriend when I very well feel like it. And right now, I don't feel like it. But being tag teamed by the people around me, it's another story.

Botan and I walk shoulder-to-shoulder under the tolerable heat of the sun, not one of us saying a word. She's unusually quiet. She just looks ahead, or admires different trees we pass, but never turns her eyes on me. I don't know what's wrong, but I'm too busy to ask her what it is; I'm still reeling over the fact that she's probably a psychotic, perhaps one with multiple personalities, to care. I can't figure her out, and I get the feeling that she doesn't want to be figured out.

"Shuichi?" she says tentatively, breaking the uncomfortable silence between us.

"Yes, Botan?"

"Uhm, well, it's nothing, really," she squeaks out while laughing nervously. "I just want to ask you what your favorite flavor of ice cream is. You know, for later. My treat, of course."

"Anything is fine, Botan," I reply shortly. I'm really not picky when it comes to food. Besides, I do like ice cream.

We're nearing the ice cream shop, only a few steps away. As soon as it comes to view, Botan claps her hands gaily and says, "Oh, look! There it is! Come on!" She grabs my hand and skips to the shop, catching me by surprise. I falter for a few moments until the pressure of her pull forces me to walk faster and catch up with her.

A small bell tinkles as we enter the shop, and all the customers turn to see who the newcomers are. Some groups of girls excitedly murmur or squeal to each other at my arrival, making me want to sink on the floor for their quite embarrassing reactions.

_I really don't need this_, I groan to myself.

I notice that most of them have shifted their gazes from my face to my left arm, their looks transforming from utter happiness to that of murderous chagrin. I look down and realize that Botan's hands and mine are still clasped together. I blush slightly and let go of her hand quickly, putting some safe distance between us.

Botan looks at me curiously but says nothing. She must be wondering what the ruckus is all about. She'd sure have a laugh when she realizes that it's about _me_. And I'm sure she's going guffaw unattractively when she's told _why _it's about me. That the one she has called an old male spinster is actually one who receives love letters like they're floods of homework.

I grimace mentally, not looking forward to anything but the ice cream.

"Hello, Shuichi! Fancy seeing you here," someone huskily calls out as Botan orders for our cold sweet treats.

Botan and I turn around find a group of girls blushing wildly huddled in the center of the room. Ishikawa Misato, the president of Minamino Shuichi Fan Club, steps forward, a wide grin plastered on her face. She's supposed to be one of the most sought after maidens in the high school I graduated in, but she lacks, for lack of better word, personality. She shoots Botan a long lethal once-over, which the latter chooses to ignore.

"How have you been doing?" she asks coyly.

"I'm doing okay, thank you for asking," I respond politely. "And you, how are you and the girls doing?"

Misato beams. "Just great! Especially now that we've seen you." A buzz of approval echoes through the room. "Who's your female companion?" she asks sweetly but with much venom.

Botan stifles a laugh, her face twisted in an odd and awkward angle. "Hello there! My name is Botan," she says cheerfully while waving to the group. I can tell she's having a hard time hiding her zest. She must have put two and two together about why the girls are acting weirdly.

Misato's eyes narrow and she asks suspiciously, "Oh! And just who are you to Shuichi?"

"Eh? I'm Shuichi's…," she trails off dramatically. The group leans forward, straining to hear what Botan's next words will be. I let out a heavy sigh, expecting the worst. "Date," Botan finishes amusedly with a glance my way, her eyes dancing in mischief.

Gasps and cries are heard within the ice cream shop walls. It seems almost all the girls are ready to faint, their features bleak and fragile. Some of them are openly gaping at Botan and me, and I ready myself for the barrage of questions that's sure to come. But perhaps they've been stunned speechless, for they never questioned what Botan has said. Their eyes are glazed, their mouths are hanging open, and they're staring at Botan with a stricken look on their faces. Misato's smile wavers a bit, but she composes herself quickly.

"D-d-date?!" someone behind Misato squeaks.

Obviously, Botan still hasn't forgotten the specifics of the deal. I'm surprised. It's either because I've terribly mistaken her for a lunatic, or she's really a lunatic, just with a damn good memory. She's managed to dampen the girls' spirits without actually going as far as saying that she's my supposed girlfriend. Sly girl, she is. But really, she can blurt out to anyone that she's my girlfriend, because it won't change the fact that she's really not. Everything is just a masquerade to begin with.

But then, I have never taken anyone on a date. I guess it really comes as a huge surprise to the girls who have made it their lives' mission to stalk and know everything about me since middle high.

I remain poker-faced.

"Oh. Okay. Well, that's…nice. We, uh, have to go. Good luck to you both! Have a pleasant date," Misato squeaks hurriedly before speeding off from the shop, followed by her equally stupefied and forlorn lackeys. I think I've seen a couple of crossed fingers as they turn their backs to me, but I'm not entirely sure.

I look at Botan sheepishly, about to apologize for the scene, but her smug yet apologetic look stops me. She holds up both her hands as if in surrender. "My bad, my bad," she snickers. "So you're an old male spinster who _chooses_ to be an old male spinster. And here I thought you were just deprived. Honestly, I never would have thought you were _that_ famous with girls. Whatever do they see in you?" She looks incredulous, as if personally offended that she's been wrong in assumption all this time. The man in the counter calls our attention and gives us each a cone of ice cream. Botan wastes no time and immediately licks the sugary treat.

"Beats me," I shrug.

"Looks like you're used to it. Have they been doing that for long? Do they chase you around and stuff like that?"

"Yes," I mutter tiredly.

"Don't you ever get tired of it?"

"Sure." Hell, yes!

She gazes at me from under her eyelashes, her purple eyes sparkling like rare gems, different emotions flashing through them.

"You know, it wouldn't hurt if you actually speak more than one or two words at a time." She's almost through with her cone, and I'm almost halfway through mine. She must have a bottomless stomach or something. She's been eating nonstop. Where does she store all the food she consumes?

I pause slightly before answering. "Sure."

But instead of getting annoyed like I've expected her to be, she cracks up and declares, "I think we're going to get along just fine, and we'll definitely enjoy our time together."

"Bah!" _I'm not so sure about that._

She furrows her eyebrows and snaps, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," I say innocently.

"Good. You're not the only one who has read Dickens, so don't you dare pull a Scrooge on me, Sherlock."

_Still, it's nice to get the fan club off my back, even for a while._

The corners of my lips twisted upward, a devious smile placed distinctly on my face. I wonder what will happen in the next couple of days when the news of me going out with an unknown girl gets around. Judging from the reaction of Misato and her friends, it's going to be a big news within the hour.

A loud thud breaks into my thoughts, and I spin around to see Botan running to a fallen child. As I approach them, I hear her trying to comfort the kid, about 5 years of age, with big brown teary eyes and gentle innocent face. _He must have hit himself on a table_, I muse.

"Come now, don't cry," she coos softly to the boy. "Where does it hurt?"

The boy points to a spot on his left knee, a bruise slowly forming in it. He looks like he's on the verge of bursting into unstoppable tears. His chest is heaving, about to start his bawling. I cringe inwardly. It takes a lot of patience to calm a child down when he's hurting.

Botan dons a thoughtful look on her face, her eyes full of sympathy and compassion. "You know what?" When the boy looks at her, she says, "I'm really very clumsy."

The boy stares at her, unbelieving. He must be thinking, _How can someone as old as you be so clumsy?_

"And whenever I hurt myself accidentally, my mother always kisses where it hurts, and then, like magic, the pain's gone!" Botan continues excitedly.

The child's eyes widen with amazement.

Botan whispers conspiringly, "Want me to kiss you there? Maybe I can make the pain go away." She winks playfully, making the kid smile brightly and forget about his mild injury.

He nods eagerly. I watch the procession in front of me almost in indifference.

"What's your name?" Botan inquires.

"Isamu."

"Isamu. It fits you. You're really very brave. Now, Isamu, close your eyes and you'll feel pain no more, okay?"

As Isamu closes his eyes, Botan kisses his knee softly, her eyes also tightly shut.

* * *

The dark sky of the coming night is slowly burning behind the skyline as the sun prepares to set, orange and pink blending together perfectly on the horizon. Sunset and moonrise in Tokyo are considered to be romantic things, worthy of sharing with a loved one especially when overlooking the Tokyo Bay. The glass windows of the hotel café are illuminated by a reddish glow, giving it a mysterious yet calm atmosphere.

Everyone is relatively quiet as they revere in the everyday magical phenomenon that never gets old. It's been a few good hours after the silly confrontation with my fan club and Botan's rescue of Isamu, a few hours to go before the coffee shop closes, but Botan's energy is still as high as ever. She never tires of speaking and smiling, no matter how seemingly nonsensical or serious the topics are. She doesn't ask too many questions too; she seems content to do all the talking. If this is a party, she'd certainly be the life of it. And I most definitely would be the party-pooper.

We've decided to go back to the café a few minutes after Isamu's mother found him. The young woman and Botan seem to have grown well-acquainted during the short moment they spent together. I've never known a person to make friends as quickly as Botan. It must be a priceless talent of hers.

The café staff has been giving me suggestive looks after we returned. I have no idea what they expect me to tell them about the so-called date, but surely there isn't anything significantly juicy for them to hear. Even if there is, the details won't come from me.

Two hours before the closing of the café, Hiei says he's had enough of work today and decides to join us in the table. He plops down on one of the wooden chairs on my right, looking a bit exhausted and totally grumpy. Laughing at my back must have completely worn him out. I'm still thinking of ways to get back at him for abandoning me, although I admittedly didn't really have a bad time at all. Generally speaking, I mean.

Botan gives him a toothy grin. He only grudgingly grunts in return. I look at them both, tickled by the fact that they're like oil and water, living in different ends of the spectrum. Oddly enough, Hiei has yet to bite Botan's head off. He's not normally this _nice_ to people, especially those he considers strangers. And cheerful.

"So, how's your date going, Kurama?" he asks boringly, not really expecting an answer.

Botan, confused by the name Hiei used, turns to me curiously. "Kurama?"

"It's what my close friends call me."

"Oh, I see." A small pout makes its way into her face. "You're not leading a double life, are you? Different names and all..."

I sigh heavily. "It's a long story." I pause for a minute to think about something before adding, "You can call me that name if you want."

Her features brighten instantly. "That's great! So does that mean I'm a close friend now?"

"Don't push it," I retort coolly.

She laughs quite merrily at my reaction. "Anyway, it's getting late, I'm tired, and I have to have an early start tomorrow. I think I'm going to spend at least two hours relaxing in the tub before turning in for the night. Walk me to my room?"

"I can't. I have to help close up the café. Maybe some other time."

"Okay. Suit yourself." She shrugs then leans close to me, inevitably invading my personal space. It's strange. I'm not reacting defensively like I usually do. "Good night, Kurama. I've enjoyed my time with you."

I open my mouth to say I've had better times; I'm sure she'll take it quite well, knowing she sees the most humorous things in almost everything. But instead of saying what's on my mind, my mouth utters the word, "Likewise." And even stranger, I realize that I really mean it. It's been a relatively exciting day, not quite what I first expected it to be. Even the scene with Misato is funny, in a crazy way.

Botan looks amused at my answer, and, without any warning, kisses me on top of my head.

I blink in surprise.

"Goodnight, Hiei," she says as she walks out of the café.

Before I can say anything, she's gone. I look at Hiei to confirm if what happened really just happened.

He raises an eyebrow, crosses his arms, and snorts quite disdainfully. "You're getting soft, Kurama."

I think maybe he has a point. I've been doing many unpredictable things since I crossed paths with Botan.

But, as much as I hate to admit it, she's turning out to be quite an interesting person.


	3. The Day After

**Author's Notes:** ✳dodges rotten tomatoes✳ Hehehe. Sorry. You see, it's like this. Uhm…well…errrr…I…eek! I actually ran out of excuses. So, yeah, I probably deserve that beating. D

I'm not very thrilled with this chapter at all; I hit a solid wall of writer's block numerous times while writing this. I've switched from one direction to another, until I finally settled with this one. I'm in need of a no-nonsense beta reader. Badly.

I spell Kurama's name as _Shuichi_ the same reason why I spell Yuusuke's, _Yusuke_: I'm too lazy to add the extra _u_. However, I've now a perfect excuse: Kurama's human stepbrother has an appearance, and, as to not confuse readers too much, his name will be spelled _Shuuichi_. Am I a genius or what? ;)

Lastly, I turned 21 two days ago, and to celebrate, I give this "gift" to those who've been waiting for an update. Also, check out my profile to see some of the fanlistings you may want to join, including the new Kurama/Botan one.

* * *

_**Chapter 2: The Day After (Day 2)**_

The morning rays of the sun peek through the curtains that cover the glass windows in my room, lighting up my pale and drowsy face, explicitly proclaiming that it's a brand new day. Despite the thick cloth barrier that hides my room from the rest of the world, I feel the warmth of the day touch my skin, forcing me to pry my eyes open and squint at the ceiling groggily. I turn my alarm clock off, which is not set to go off until about ten minutes later.

Who needs it anyway when you have the persistent sunbeams to wake you up?

Instead of sighing in relief that I've survived another day, and an unusual one at that, I groan tiredly and pull the covers up my head. Sleep has been, much to my dismay, such an elusive dream last night. I've been terribly restless; the previous night spent tossing and turning, thinking about the mysterious girl named Botan. If it isn't bad enough, I can feel a splitting headache coming along. Whether it's from lack of sleep or too much thinking about a certain blue-haired woman, I don't know.

I picture Botan's innocent face on my mind, every detail vivid and real as if she's standing right in front of me. If having light purple eyes and long blue hair aren't enough reasons to say she's a peculiar character, her eccentric behavior should leave no doubt in one's mind about her disposition. Asking me to be her boyfriend for seven days then strongly implying something about my sexuality a few hours after, kissing a stranger's knee to "make the pain go away," and always doing or saying something unexpected that can make anyone blanch. Yes, she's atypical indeed. And that kiss….

A friendly kiss in the head is all it is, I'd like to think. But it surprises me that my body insists that the kiss is laden with meaning, that there's something there despite the fact that Botan and I had just met. I never would have thought that a simple kiss would affect me this much. I keep on trying to come up with reasons why she'd do it on a whim when we hadn't even known each other for more than a day. Even if it was just an elderly type of kiss in the head, why would she kiss me? Why _did _she kiss me? Why, why, why?

A soft knock in my room's door snaps me out of my reverie. I shake my head to clear the haze that has clouded my brain with thoughts of her. Now is not a good time to contemplate on what happened the day before; what's done is done, and that's all there is to it. I have the rest of the week to figure Botan out.

"Shuichi?" a soft voice that clearly belongs to my mother calls out from the other side of the door.

"Yes, mother?" I croak, my voice muffled slightly by the blanket.

"Are you feeling okay? Are you sick? Is something wrong? It's not usual for you to still be in bed at this time."

I frown at the hint of panic in her voice. My mother is a great woman, but sometimes she worries so much about the simplest things that she makes herself ill. She's been terribly sickly ever since the death of my biological father when I was but a mere toddler, the doctor saying that it's more mental than physical in nature. He added that I should make sure that my mother is always happy and does not stress herself much.

Three years ago, mother found it in her heart to love another man who would take good care of her and love her back. Hatanaka and little Shuuichi have permanently entered our lives since then, and I'm glad to see that the new extended family has done wonders for her health and well-being. I'm also glad that the two men seem to care for my mother as much as I do. We are all protective or her, and we try hard to not worry her.

"It's nothing to be worried about, mother. I just turned in late last night," I reassure mother.

"Oh, okay. Well, breakfast is ready. Make sure you quickly grab something before little Shuuichi leaves you with nothing to eat."

I chuckle lightly. Little Shuuichi, as we call my fifteen-year-old stepbrother, may just very well give Botan a run for her money. It's a recurring joke in the family during dinner. When asked about his love relationship with food, Shuuichi announces his favorite subject at school is lunch. His favorite pastime, he says further, is eating. However, he's an energetic young man who enjoys a lot of physical activities, so the fat burns off just as quickly as he puts it on. His capacity for food is, to say the least, impressive.

"Yes, thank you, mother. I'll be down in a few minutes."

"Hurry, Shuichi." I can almost hear the smile in her voice. She's probably standing outside my room with her face crinkled in an affectionate smile, wondering if the breakfast she prepared is enough to satisfy Shuuichi's more than healthy appetite and still has something left for me to eat.

I listen to her light footsteps fading as she slowly makes her way downstairs to the kitchen. I argue with myself for ten minutes. Part of me wants to curl up and catch up on some more shut-eye, but the responsible part of me shoots down the idea. Grunting lazily, I finally decide to get up from bed and take a refreshing shower to soothe my nerves.

Boxers on the floor, and body tingling in anticipation, I quickly jump into the shower. I sigh as soon as the cold droplets of water touch my skin, satisfied that it's enough to wake and ready me for a grueling day ahead. What with the café business and Botan keeping me occupied, I'm sure I'm going to need every help I can get.

Botan again. What is it with her that always makes me think of her? What makes her different from all the other girls who have made cheap shots to get me into bed? She's certainly not the most beautiful I've ever seen. She doesn't seem to be the smartest too. Is it the lush mane the color of sky on her head? Or maybe her mesmerizing purple-pink orbs, eyes that hold such innocence and mirth and some underlying emotion I can't understand, that draw me to her?

I grimace mentally. This is unheard of. Here I am, thinking about a girl _in the shower_, though not in the way members of my fan club would have wanted or fantasized about. I furiously massage the rose-scented shampoo to my scalp in hopes that every piece of Botan's anatomy residing in my brain will go down the drain along with the bubbles. I speedily dry my body off just to make sure that remnants of thoughts of her are gone.

As soon as I'm finished with my early morning rituals, I go downstairs to find my handsome stepbrother already munching on a thick sandwich, a filled-to-the-rim cereal bowl in front of him, looking absolutely pleased with himself for being first in line. He gives me a silly grin, making his cheeks bloat like pouches. I suppress a snicker at his little display. We've grown close throughout the years his father and my mother spend together. It's evident that he looks up to me and sees me as his role model. It's safe to say that he idolizes me and wants to follow my footsteps.

"Good morning, Shuu-nii!" he greets in his cheerful voice.

"Good morning, Shuuichi." I ruffle his brown hair a bit, and he scowls cutely at me.

"I'm not a kid anymore, you know. I'm fifteen. _Fifteen_." He takes his frustration out for being treated like a kid by gnawing at the poor sandwich. He pauses suddenly, as if remembering something of importance that he needs to bring up. "You know, I heard a bit of a shocking news…," he begins suggestively, a hint of mischief in his features. I look at him curiously for a moment, wondering what's with his sly smile.

I mentally backtrack about what could possibly be used against me, and Botan's face flashes across my mind. She's the only person who has successfully distracted me since yesterday.

I have a strong feeling where this is going. It's not to be kept under the wraps for so long. I just give him an even stare that causes him to widen his smile even more. "They said you were with someone yesterday afternoon at an ice cream shop," he says louder than needed. He must have thought that what he said need some more clarification because he stresses further, "A _girl_."

I sigh softly. Judging by his smug smile, I'm sure that if he had a third hand at his back, he'd give himself a congratulatory pat with it.

I hear my mother gasp excitedly. She whirls around and looks at me in surprise, her eyes full of questions and apprehension. Her beautiful face, however, is beaming in approval, happiness in her expression for my purported good fortune plain visible.

I sit down in front of Shuuichi carefully, ill at ease at the position he has put me in. I'm not yet ready to be interrogated by my own mother, partly because I have nothing to say, and partly because if I do say anything to reassure her, it would all be a lie.

"Shuichi?" my mother utters tentatively, subtly asking for an explanation.

"It's nothing really, mother. Just a customer I met at the café yesterday. She asked me to accompany her to the ice cream shop, and we talked for a while."

"Yeah, right," Shuuichi interjects. "They said you were holding each other's hands when you entered the café. How's that for companionship, huh?"

I throw him a mock glare that didn't escape my mother's sharp eyes.

"Now, now, Shuuchi. Maybe she's really just a friend," my mother chides my stepbrother gently, but the hopeful glance she throws at me belies her words.

"Yes, mother. Just a friend," I say quickly, taking the chance to set things straight though it would immensely disappoint her. I hold back a grimace when I see her beautiful face twist in a tiny frown, which she quickly wipes off before giving me an understanding smile. "I have to get going, mother. I'm going to be late."

"I don't know why you're so worried. You're the boss now anyway, big bro. It's okay to be late. I mean, no one's going to be angry with you or something. And you certainly won't lose money over skipping a few minutes of work. Maybe you're planning to do something else." Shuuichi says innocently, though I think I detect a hint of teasing in his voice.

I get up and put my hands on his shoulder. I smile at him patiently. "You're right. I'm the boss, and I won't lose money for being late. But, being the boss, I have the responsibility to set a good example for the people around me. Besides, I also need to help out. Our father has trusted me enough to let me handle the place, and I wouldn't want to disappoint him now, would I?" Shuuichi shakes his head fiercely. "The money is of no importance, really, but let me put it this way. I'd lose a little of their respect if I'm frequently late. They might resign from their work. I'd lose money then because no one would want to work for me."

"Yes, your big brother is right, sweetie," my mother agrees.

"I know that, mother. I'm _fifteen_. It's just that I heard that the girl Shuu-nii was with yesterday is staying in the hotel. I just thought maybe, you know…" he trails off, leaving his suggestive sentence open-ended as a wide grin spreads across his face.

I stare at him in confusion. What is he talking abo…?

I blink. Then it hit me in the head. The little sneaky mischievous boy is smarter than I give him credit for.

My mother, not a fool when it comes to teasing, turns her head to me, her interest piqued again. "Oh, really? Now that _is_ interesting." She raises one delicate eyebrow and says in a playful tone, "Shuichi, you need not make excuses if you want to see her immediately. We'd understand. She must be a wonderful person for you to be acting like that. You should bring her here and introduce her to us." She claps her hands excitedly and gives a squeal. "Oooh. I can just imagine little ones running about the house in a few years time."

"Mother!" I exclaim in dismay and mild embarrassment. I pause as she and my little brother try to suppress their giggles unsuccessfully. "I can't believe you both. You're ganging up on poor me." They openly laugh at my grumbling while I look on with a mixture of fond exasperation and discomfort.

"Shuu-nii, lighten up a bit! You are so uptight! You don't know how to have fun."

I twitch at the familiar words. Botan has told me the same thing yesterday. Darn. I feel like a prude. Or a male spinster. People keep telling me I don't know how to have fun. But I do, really. It's just that their idea of fun and my idea of fun don't quite jive, and I end up looking like a ridiculous priss.

The day isn't starting out quite well. I shake my head dejectedly. "I'm leaving. Now I'm really going to be late." I gather my things and kiss my mother goodbye. I wave at my brother as I make my way to the door.

"Oh, before I forget. Please be home by dinnertime, dear. We have a guest coming over," I faintly hear my mother call out.

"Yes, mother," I reply absently. My mind is on something else entirely. I think I need to have a little chat with Botan before anything else goes out of hand. I am honestly mortified by the amount of teasing I got from my family.

* * *

Disaster greets me upon my arrival at the café. The place has just opened, but it's already half-full of people. And they're no ordinary people. They're girls. Giggly, touchy, bubbly girls. Those who chase after me left and right and try to catch my attention with a lot of outrageous schemes. Other guys think it's cool, that I'm lucky to be the apple of the eye of so many girls. I think it's troublesome. They distract me from school, and they distract me from work. In fact, they distract my life in general.

"Good morning, Shuichi!" they greet me simultaneously.

I just give them a polite nod, then a smile. I inwardly wince as they squeal and argue within themselves on who I'm supposed to have smiled at. I heave a sigh. I'm guessing it's not my day today, with all these unfortunate events unfolding one after another.

Hiei's smug look isn't helping either. I hate it when he makes an entertainment out of whatever painful situation I'm stuck in. I glare at him at the corner of my eye, but, as expected, that widens his smirk even more.

"Wipe that smirk off your face, Hiei. I'm not in the mood."

He snickers. Seriously, my pain is this little man's pleasure. My glare turns dangerous, and he just shrugs. "My sister is here, and somebody's looking for you," he says in an amused kind of way, his eyes darting toward the area behind me.

"Hello, Kurama! Good morning!" a gentle voice which I recognize as Yukina's says shyly.

I break into a carefree smile, my mood already improving. Yukina has a way of calming people down with just her presence, unlike her twin brother Hiei, who scares everyone off with just a look or a grunt. They're a walking contradiction of each other. The only telltale sign of their relation is their pair of ruby-colored eyes. And maybe their similar height, if one chooses to take that into account. Personality-wise, they're nothing alike. But ironically enough, they are as close to each other as any pair of twins can ever get. Hiei doesn't want to admit it, but he's a real softie inside.

I turn around to face Yukina, only to freeze in place as I stare stupidly at the person beside her who's giving me a huge and a little impish grin. Shoot! It's _her_. I almost groan in frustration but manage to catch myself in time before I let it out.

It definitely is not my day today.

"By the way, this," Yukina makes a sweeping motion with her hand toward the girl beside her, "is Botan. I found her in one of the tables in the corner. She looked a little lonely alone…"

"No, I didn't!" Botan protests weakly.

"…so I decided to join her. She also stays in this hotel. Botan, this is Shuichi, but you can call him Kurama. We all do. His stepfather owns this café. The scowling guy over there is my twin brother, Hiei. Don't worry about him, he won't bite."

Hiei and I both look in wonder at Yukina. She's usually timid even when speaking, but at that moment, her voice holds a commanding air that suggests she's the one in charge of the situation. Her unusual display of authority has caught us off-guard, and while Hiei's face doesn't give away much of his thoughts, I'm pretty sure he's also wondering what brought upon the change.

Botan smiles at me slyly then faces to Yukina. "Actually, Yukina, I've met them both already. Yesterday. Here. They were kind enough to give company to a lone stranger in the city. Kurama is the guy I told you about."

"Oh. Really?" Yukina looks at me disbelievingly. "Hiei, come talk with me at the lobby for a while, will you? I'll see you later, Kurama, Botan." She nods at us, smiles, and then makes her exit from the café, followed by a puzzled Hiei.

I raise an eyebrow at Botan as soon as they're gone. "Told her about what?"

"That I was waiting for a guy. Maybe she's just surprised that it's the great Kurama I was waiting for, so she threw that look at you. After all, I've been waiting for well over an hour, and according to her, her brother's best friend is perfection personified. She thought I've been stood up and has been a little miffed about it for the past couple of minutes." She suddenly laughs. "I'm surprised that Hiei is her brother. I didn't make the connection until she dragged me here. They're nothing alike."

"Why are you waiting for me?" I ask, disregarding the rest of her explanation.

"Well, I just thought I'd let you know I won't be bothering you for the rest of the day!" she says cheerfully. "I have a scheduled tour later. And then I'm coming over a friend's house for dinner. He's really excited, and so am I."

She has a friend here? Already? She's been in the city for only two days, and she has already been invited to dine in someone's house?

And the "someone" is a _he_?

I feel something weird stir inside me. My throat clogs up, and I find it a little harder to breathe. My left eye itches to twitch like crazy. My whole body tenses up. I can't explain it; just that suddenly, my mood gets even sourer than before. In fact, I feel a scowl straining to break free from my normally impassive face. I've never felt this way before.

"So, I guess I should get going now, eh? You have a lot of things to do, since you happen to be the owner's stepson, which is something I think you failed to mention yesterday."

"I don't really go around saying that my stepfather owns this café," I say dryly. "Good luck with the dinner. Enjoy." I wave goodbye as I turn my back to her, but, before I can enter the small office behind the counter, she stops me.

"Kurama?"

"Hm?" I glance at her, but she looks away and twiddles her fingers. She refuses to meet my gaze, and I tip my head to the side suspiciously. "Well?"

"You see, my friends back home are also visiting the city. They're going to arrive tomorrow at noon. We're planning to have a picnic at Inokashira Park, and then dinner that night at a nearby restaurant," she explains. "And I was wondering if maybe I can tempt you to join us? Don't worry about the money. It's my friend's treat. It's sort of like a series of celebratory meals; he has just gotten engaged with one of our friends. I've already invited Yukina, and she has agreed to come. I told her she could tag her brother along, but now that I know that the brother is actually Hiei…," she trails off, shrugging her shoulders sheepishly.

"I don't know if I can come." _Or if I even want to_, I add to myself. "Besides, won't that be intruding on your private celebration? Won't your friends mind? Especially the one who's going to shell out the money?"

"No, they won't mind at all. They're a pretty decent bunch of people. And if Yusuke complains about the bill, I'm sure Keiko will take care of him and his big mouth." She laughs almost hysterically. "Oh, well. Do tell me tomorrow if you change your mind. I must take my leave now else I'd be late for the tour. See you, Kurama." With that, she bounces away with an airy wave and disappears into the hotel lobby.

I breathe in deeply, the corners of my lips quirking upward. My spirit has lifted considerably now that what Botan said about not bothering me for the rest of the day has finally sunk in, but there's a nagging heavy feeling weighing in my stomach and chest. So what if she's having dinner with her _male_ friend? It's not as if I'm jealous. Or am I?

I quickly ignore the feeling and instead bask on my freedom.

No Botan to distract me for the rest of the day.

I almost want to laugh out loud in relief.

Maybe it _is_ my day.

* * *

Or maybe it isn't.

I stare glumly at the food before me, picking on them until they seem a bit sickly-looking. While it's wrong to take my frustrations out on dinner, I need to murder something even if it's just food. My mother glances at me worriedly, while my brother doesn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary with me.

"Shuichi, dear?" my mother utters tentatively, her quiet voice breaking through the chirpy atmosphere.

"Yes, mother?" little Shuuichi and I both reply promptly, looking up at our mother, who's facing me. Shuuichi, realizing that mother is speaking to me, frowns slightly. All activities halt as three pairs of eyes turn to me.

"Are you okay?" asks mother.

"Of course, mother. Why would I not be?" I ask calmly. Mother has a knack for knowing whenever something bothers me, but she's not a pushover who insists on knowing what's wrong. I know she'll let it go.

"No reason. You just seem a bit distracted."

"Don't worry about me, mother. I'm just tired from working the whole day today when I didn't get enough sleep."

My mother reluctantly accepts my excuse.

I know it's unusual for me to sulk -- and _yes_, I _am_ sulking -- but I can't help it. The day has gone from bad to worse, from worse to relatively okay, and from relatively okay to hell. And I hate it all the more as I recall the events for the past couple of minutes.

_**--/Flashback/--**_

I come home earlier than usual, having remembered my mother saying something about us having a guest for dinner. I've left Hiei and Yukina to close after themselves; I trust the twins to handle business-related stuff in my absence. After all, they're practically family.

I walk home in solemn silence, my pace brisk and purposeful, only to slow down as our brightly-lit house comes into view. Knowing my mother, she'd refuse to start dinner as long as one person is missing from the dinner table. I don't want to hold up anything, especially when we have a guest in the house.

I get my keys from my left-side jean pocket, but before I can even insert it into the knob, the door is opened by my mother from the inside.

"Shuichi," she greets with a wide grin on her face. "We've been waiting for you. Come on in, hurry. Little Shuuichi is keeping our guest company in the living room. Dinner is about to be served."

"I'll help you," I offer.

"No. No need, dear. Go acquaint yourself with Shuuichi's friend. I'll be just a minute." She scurries to the kitchen after I give her a peck on the cheek.

I've always considered myself to be pleasantly impassive, even if sometimes I do get cornered by some girls in the schools I've attended. I try to give an amiable smile even if surprised by their actions. However, I don't think there's any way I could have prepared myself for the scene that greets me as I make my way to the living room. Not even my stepbrother's excited voice could have clued me in. I stop in my tracks, and my eyes widen for a fraction.

I think I spaced out for a couple of seconds because when I came to, I saw little Shuuichi and Botan staring at me questioningly. I gaze at Botan suspiciously, wondering if she's been toying with me and my family all along. But there's nothing on her face that tells me anything at all. In fact, she looks like a beautiful angel sitting in my couch, her soft blue hair curling unto her back, her eyes crinkling in amusement at my stunned expression.

I raise an eyebrow to cover for my slip-up.

"Shuu-nii!" little Shuuichi exclaims, jumping up and running over to me. He takes an arm and pulls me to the couch. "Come on. I want you to meet a longtime family friend, Botan. Botan, this is my stepbrother I was telling you about, Shuichi."

I open my mouth to say that there's no need for an introduction, but Botan holds our her hand to me and grins. "Nice to meet you, Shuichi. This little runt has told me a lot about you. It's an honor to finally come and see you face to face," she says as she elbows little Shuuichi on the side.

I look at the dainty hand she extended to me, wondering for a millisecond what I'm supposed to do with it. Then I remember that it's the way Westerners introduce themselves, so I cautiously engulf her hand in mine, shaking it ever so slightly then quickly letting go. "Likewise."

We stare at each other for a couple of seconds, and my mom chooses that moment to make her appearance. "Everybody to the kitchen. Dinner is served," she announces cheerfully. Shuuichi skips to the other room just as cheerfully.

I look at Botan accusingly as soon as we're alone. She returns it with a giggle. "You don't seem surprised," I tell her.

"And you do."

"Botan," I mumble sternly.

"What?" she says, her tone defensive.

"Why were you not surprised?"

"Honestly, for some who is supposedly smart, you're sure acting dumb. Look at this room, Shuichi."

I immediately realize what she means. The living room is full of family pictures taken from since I was a baby and my biological father was still alive, to those of the new family with Hatanaka and Shuuichi. There are also some of mine from graduation ceremonies. My mother has always been proud that I always finish first in my batch, and she makes it a point to show that fact off even if only in the confines of our house.

Botan continues, "It's like a shrine to you and your family. It's hard to miss that you're actually the big brother Shuuichi keeps on talking about."

I nod at her, accepting her explanation.

"I admit I was surprised though," she says as she lowers her head. "I honestly didn't think we'd cross paths when it comes to our personal lives. I have no intention of telling your mother or Shuuchi about the deal, and I hope it's the same with you."

"Of course." Why would I ever consider telling them when it's my reputation on the line?

She looks up at me and smiles gratefully. "Thank you."

Shuuichi stumbles into the room. "What's keeping you both? We've been waiting for five minutes. My stomach's complaining already. Come on!"

_**--/End Flashback/--**_

The dinner ends up being uneventful aside from the earlier dialogue with my mother. My mother is obviously charmed by Botan. I can tell from the twinkle in her eyes and the way she smiles that she's already decided that the blue-haired girl is perfect and can do no wrong. Still, I can't help being grumpy about the whole situation. I find it extremely awkward to be sitting in the same table with my family and the girl I'm supposed to pretend to be dating.

After a few hours of chit-chat, Botan decides that it's past her bedtime. "Well, it's been fun. But I'm afraid I have to be on my way now. Thank you for the wonderful dinner, Shiori." She hugs my mother and stepbrother lightly.

"You're coming back, right, Botan?" Shuuichi asks.

"If you want me too, then yes, I will," Botan smiles at him kindly.

"Shuichi, why don't you walk Botan to her hotel? A pretty girl shouldn't walk alone late at night," mother half-pleads.

Botan is quick to react. "Oh, no, Shiori. That won't be necessary. I'm perfectly capable of seeing myself home. I've been traveling alone for the past couple of years. Besides, I do believe Shuichi has mentioned a while ago that he's tired. Let the poor man get his rest." She smiles at me and winks.

Mother sighs. "You're right. I'm just nervous letting you out at this time."

"Don't worry, Shiori. I'll be fine. Thank you again for everything. Goodbye!" Botan calls out as she walks away. Shuuichi bids us goodnight and runs upstairs to his room.

"Nice girl," my mother comments as we watch Botan slowly disappears from sight.

"Yes, she is," I agree.

"Pretty, too."

I sigh. My mother is beginning to sound like a matchmaker. "I suppose," I say cautiously.

"She's perfect."

"Nobody's perfect, mother."

"I like her."

"Mother, I know what you're trying to do. The answer is no," I tell her.

She looks at me innocently and, with the sweetest voice, replies, "I'm not doing anything, dear. I'm just saying I like her."

"Whatever you say, mother. Now go to sleep. I'll lock up." I give her a fond kiss on her forehead and send her to her room to rest, but not until she gives me a knowing smile.

Even my mother is quite taken with Botan. I can only imagine how harder the situation will get from here on. As she ascends the stairs, I distinctly hear her murmur something like, "She's going to be perfect for you, Shuichi. I know it."


End file.
